Koby
|extra1= }} is a Marine together with Helmeppo under Vice Admiral Garp. He was formerly a Cabin Boy for the Alvida Pirates until he was liberated by Monkey D. Luffy, and was one of the first people Luffy befriended on his travels. His current status is unknown. Appearance In his first appearance, Coby was a small, timid, chubby boy with pink hair and round-frame glasses. Due to the passage of time and Garp's training, Coby has grown thinner and taller, standing close to Luffy in height. He also has gained a cross-shaped scar above his right eye, presumably earned under Garp's heavy-handed tutelage. His hair has grown longer and shaggier since his growth spurt, but it has retained its pink color. Coby wears standard-issue Marine jacket, pants, and neckerchief as well as a brightly patterned bandanna worn tied across his forehead. Coby's glasses are still present, but he has adopted the habit of wearing them pushed up on his forehead and has not been seen using them since his appearance in the Post-Enies Lobby Arc. Personality Coby was first introduced as the Alvida Pirate's hapless chore boy who lived in fear of both the ship's crew and captain. Two years of forced servitude had robbed him of all hope of escaping as well as his dream of becoming a Marine, leaving him with few goals other than avoiding being bludgeoned to death by Alvida's iron mace. Luffy was less than impressed with Coby's cowardice, describing him as "pretty stupid and useless...and kinda wimpy too". However, Luffy's boundless optimism and single-minded pursuit of his dream rekindled a similar conviction in downtrodden cabin boy, allowing him to defy his captors even under the threat of a brutal death by Alvida's mace. As the pair continued in their travels, Coby remained timid and cautious, often relying on Luffy to perform dangerous tasks and becoming alarmed by his companion's reckless behavior. He also was shown to be perceptive, noting that it was "strange" for the citizens of Shells Town to be afraid of a Marine Captain and telling Luffy that he had "a bad feeling about this". Coby's naïve belief in the blanket integrity of the Marines was dashed when he witnesses the actions of Axe-Hand Morgan and his son, but it only strengthened his resolve to become, in his words, "a real Marine." Under Garp's instruction, Coby's timidity has been replaced with confidence, although he remains polite, self-effacing, and apologetic if he feels he has done something overly ambitious (such as publicly stating his goal to become a Marine admiral). He continues to be an emotional, compassionate person who can easily be driven to tears for a variety of reasons, jokingly referred to as a "crybaby" by Zoro during their reunion at Water 7. Coby does not act with the reckless bravery that many characters in the series exhibit, but rather on moral compunction. He has put his life on the line at least twice for the sake of what he feels is right, most notably at the Battle of Marineford where he brought fighting to a standstill and bought the precious seconds needed for Luffy to escape. Relationships Marines Monkey D. Garp Garp is the mentor of Coby and Helmeppo; he keeps them out of trouble and ensures they are not slacking off. If they do get out of hand, he knocks them around to ensure they keep in place. Coby admires him, even though he maintains a highly brutal clutch on him because he wouldn't be where he is without him. He was horrified when Coby shouted out to stop the massacre at Marineford during the Whitebeard War. Helmeppo After his father was kicked out, Helmeppo lost access to all the luxurious life that he once held under his father's rank. He was forced to become a Chore boy alongside Coby and despite Coby's good nature and attempts to befriend him, he refused any of it. After being kidnapped by his own father and held hostage, Helmeppo disowned his father and started changing, becoming braver and less of a spoiled brat. Eventually, Coby and Helmeppo become good friends. Now they are working together. In addition Helmeppo seems to care for Coby and he rushed to help him after being defeated by Luffy. Sakazuki Coby seems to have great fear towards Fleet Admiral Sakazuki. He and Helmeppo were stunned to see him executing a fellow marine. Also, after Coby’s speech, Sakazuki tried to kill him, which caused Coby even more fear. Straw Hat Pirates Coby traveled briefly with Luffy, acting as a temporary navigator, after he was freed from his servitude to Alvida. He later joined the Marines after the incident with Captain Morgan. He still considers Luffy his friend even though they are now on opposite sides. While Coby, the first person Luffy met on his journey, acknowledges that as he is a Marine, they will inevitably have to fight, they consider each other friends, as Luffy helped Coby master the courage necessary to become a Marine. Luffy was happy to see Coby again at Water 7. However during the Battle at Marineford Luffy punched Coby who fainted in order to go and save his brother. Zoro met Coby while he was imprisoned in Captain Morgan’s base. At first Coby was afraid of Zoro’s bad reputation. However after finding out Zoro’s kind personality Coby started to admire him. Both of them were glad to see each other at Water 7. Enemies Alvida Pirates Coby served under Alvida and her crew for two years. Because of his cowardice he would do whatever he was ordered. In fact he was a chore boy. He was usually being mocked by the pirates and even asked by Alvida who was the most beautiful woman in the world. Of course if he didn’t reply that she was the most beautiful woman he would be punished. However, with Luffy’s coming Coby found the courage to express his feelings towards Alvida, something that made her mad. But Luffy easily dispatched her. Abilities and Powers In his first appearance, Coby lacked any fighting skills. According to Alvida, the only reason why she kept him on was because he happened to be good at navigation. He is seen during his mini-arc training alongside Helmeppo and Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp. He also has some knowledge of swordsmanship, as he was seen practicing with Helmeppo, as well as Garp's attendant. Rokushiki Since his training with Garp, Coby has become strong enough to use Rokushiki or, at the very least, the Soru technique. He has used Soru against Monkey D. Luffy twice: once at Water 7 and once at the Battle of Marineford, although the technique did not help him win either fight. In One Piece: Gigant Battle! 2 New World he is also capable to use Geppou and Rankyaku. Haki Kenbunshoku Haki During the Whitebeard War, Coby awakened an ability known as Kenbunshoku Haki (or Mantra according to Skypieans). Coby was shown hunched over and crying on the battlefield, saying the voices in his head were disappearing one by one as the combatants around him were slain, much like what Aisa felt during the Skypiea Arc. History Past Coby had intended to board a ship for a fishing trip one day, but he found himself amid the dangerous crew of the pirate Alvida by mistake. To stay alive, he 'volunteered' to become a slave for this band of pirates, but secretly fostered hopes of escape and eventually joining the Marines. Meeting Luffy Coby's fear of Alvida prevented him from leaving her crew on his own, but Luffy's arrival and triumph over the 'ugly old hag' (as Coby summoned the courage to call her) finally brought him hope. After helping Luffy and Zoro free a nearby Marine base from the grip of the tyrannical Axe-Hand Morgan, Coby was admitted into the Marines' ranks as a Chore Boy, alongside Morgan's disgraced son, Helmeppo. Freedom and Dream Come True In his and Helmeppo's title page mini-arc, the two become unwillingly involved in an escape attempt by Morgan the prisoner (Morgan takes his son hostage and steals a ship). Though Morgan escapes, the bravery shown by the two earns them the respect of their superiors and the attention of Vice-Admiral Garp, who takes the two under his wing as pupils. Coby and Helmeppo are currently serving under the Vice-Admiral at the same base that is apparently Captain Hina's home port on the Grand Line. Reunion With a Friend Coby The Courage to Say 'Enough' Coby, along with Helmeppo, reported to Marine Headquarters as part of the fight against the Whitebeard Pirates, and is present for Sengoku's speech about Ace's past. After hearing that Ace is Gol D. Roger's son, the two men come to a conclusion that Ace and Luffy aren't biological brothers. Frightened by the display of power from both sides and the ensuing bloodshed as the Marines and Whitebeard's forces clash, Coby and Helmeppo run away. By chance, they cross paths with Akainu and, from their hiding place behind a wall, witness the Admiral brutally punishing another Marine for deserting. They overhear Sengoku's communication with Akainu through the Admiral's Den Den Mushi, which reveals the Fleet Admiral's plan to ignore the schedule and execute Ace right away. It is then that they notice Luffy's ship falling from the sky. When Luffy attempts to charge the execution stand to rescue Ace, Coby blocks his path, determined to defend the Marines' objective even if it means the execution of his friend's brother. He tells himself that, if he cowers away from the situation, he will not be able to grow up. His resolve, however, is not enough: the Chief Petty Officer is no match for the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and is defeated in with a single punch. Luffy moves on, leaving Coby unconscious in the middle of the battlefield. Eventually, Coby wakes up, distressed that the war is still raging despite the fact that Portgas D. Ace has been executed. The trauma of the battle triggers his own Haki which comes on him in full force, allowing him to involuntarily sense every human presence nearby on the battlefield (described by Coby as voices "inside my head"). He is reduced to tears as he listens to the voices of the combatants disappearing one by one as they are killed. As the violence rises to a fever pitch, Coby screams at the top of his lungs, begging both sides to stop throwing lives away for a war that no longer has any purpose. The young marine's cry causes a moment's pause in the battle and inadvertently saves Luffy's life. Kizaru, who was seconds away from destroying Trafalgar Law's submarine, stops to look at Coby, which gives the Heart Pirates the time needed to submerge and flee from the battlefield with Luffy on board. Akainu, unimpressed, prepares to kill Coby for wasting precious seconds of the battle. The young marine fearfully steels himself for death, reassuring himself that he said what he had to say and that he has no regrets. His life is saved by the sudden arrival of Shanks, who commends the young Marine for his actions, explaining that his few seconds of courage have drastically changed the future of the world. Coby immediately falls unconscious after his timely rescue from an otherwise certain demise. Post-War Coby is seen at Marine Headquarters healing center, surrounded by other injured soldiers, and a healthy Helmeppo at his bedside. He is still clearly traumatized by the events, saying that he's "felt human presences too strongly" and that he "can't calm down". The doctor tells him that what he is feeling is Haki. The doctor informs Coby that all Marines ranked vice admiral and above have Haki control, and that Garp should be able to help him. Helmeppo feels jealous that Coby seems to have advanced in skill, though Coby claims to not have known about the ability in the first place. The particular type of Haki Coby has gained is Kenbunshoku Haki. Major Battles * Coby vs. Monkey D. Luffy (Shells Town, to let the Marines see he isn't a pirate) * Coby and Helmeppo vs. Bogart * Coby vs. Monkey D. Luffy (Water 7) * Coby vs. Monkey D. Luffy (Marineford) Anime Only Battles *Coby and Helmeppo vs. Morgan *Coby and Helmeppo vs. Monkey D. Garp (training) Anime and Manga Differences In the anime, a report was published in a newspaper stating that Garp, Coby, and Helmeppo had traversed Reverse Mountain in order to enter the Grand Line. This report was later brought up before Coby by Luffy in a later episode. Upon hearing this report, Coby explained to Luffy that the report was just a cover story in order to hide the secret of how the Marines are able to pass directly through the Calm Belt. Despite this rewrite of the anime's initial mistake, two errors remain; *Coby and Helmeppo had passed a few sentences about the Reverse Mountain during the adaptation of their mini-series and commented how frightening it had been for them. *Zoro was also surprised by Coby's presence in the Grand Line though he saw the article along with Luffy and the present crew members in the newspaper. Also in the manga, Coby got shot in his left shoulder, however, in the anime, it was left out. In the manga version of Diary of Coby-Meppo, Coby was seen holding guns to keep Marines from shooting Morgan while he was holding Helmeppo hostage right before Bogart sliced the guns into pieces. In the anime version, Coby did not hold any guns and only persuaded the Marines to not shoot Morgan. Trivia *Coby was the first person that Luffy met and befriended on his journey. *A fan once asked why Coby looked so different from his first appearance. According to Oda, Coby just went through a growth spurt and tightened his muscles with discipline (due to Garp's training). *Coby appears as a support character in One Piece: Gigant Battle and as a playable character in One Piece: Gigant Battle! 2 New World. See also *Helmeppo *Monkey D. Garp *Morgan *Marines *Monkey D. 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